South African music star Tyla has proudly embraced her roots in Amapiano music after winning the Afrobeats category at the MTV Music Video Awards (VMAs).
The Johannesburg-born singer expressed her pride in representing South Africa and Amapiano, despite being recognised in the Afrobeats category.
Tyla took the opportunity to address the tendency of global music platforms to categorise all African artists under Afrobeats, emphasising the diversity of African music. “Even though Afrobeats has run things and opened doors for us, African music is so diverse,” Tyla said. “I come from South Africa, and I represent Amapiano and my culture.”
In her speech, Tyla praised her fellow nominees, including Rema, Tems, Ayra Starr, Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Davido, all notable figures in the Afrobeats genre. She described her victory as both “special and bittersweet,” recognising the significance of her achievement while acknowledging the challenge of African music being oversimplified into one genre.
“This is such a big moment for Africa and African music,” Tyla said, becoming the first South African artist to win a VMA. She reiterated the importance of recognising the rich variety within African music, highlighting that it extends beyond just Afrobeats.
Tyla’s comments have sparked conversations about the global classification of African music. Fans and fellow artists have celebrated her win while calling for greater recognition of the continent’s musical diversity.
The winners of the MTV Video Music Awards 2024 (VMAs) were announced at the UBS Arena in New York on 11 September, with South African artist Tyla emerging top in the Best Afrobeats category against Nigerian musicians Burna Boy, Tems, Davido and Ayra Starr.
